N90bn Hajj Subsidy: EFCC Quizzes NAHCON Boss Over Alleged Mismanagement

• Arabi explains funds disbursement
• Maintains 2024 Hajj successful

Following alleged mismanagement of the 2024 Hajj exercise fund, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday grilled Mallam Jalal Arabi, on his role as Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

Confirmed reports indicated that Arabi was at the anti-graft Commission’s office in response to an invitation extended to him concerning the N90 billion subsidy the government provided for the exercise.

EFCC’s insiders said Arabi had questions to answer concerning how the subsidy was disbursed and utilized given the avalanche of petitions against him and the management team over alleged fund mismanagement, especially during the 2024 hajj exercise.

The insider sources said Arabi was specifically expected to explain and provide details of NAHCON’s expenditure profile on the fund allocations to the pilgrims.

On Tuesday, the source hinted that “As of now, NAHCON Chairman has only been invited. He is already being interrogated by our crack team of detectives seeking explanations on some issues that border on allegations of fund mismanagement within the Commission.

“The investigation is ongoing; it dates back to 2021, when the issue of fraud in the Commission became messier. Before now, there has been an ongoing investigation on alleged misappropriation of N200 million with some NAHCON’S officials invited for questioning.”

The source disclosed that three directors from the Commission had also been invited to explain what they know about the issue, adding; “Now, it is the Chief Executive Officer’s turn to explain how funds allocated to the Commission have been spent during the period under review.

“So, the investigation will continue until EFCC gets unearth issues surrounding the funds allocation and how the NAHCON’S management deployed and utilized same in the last three years. “

Offering further insight on the NAHCON’S boss current engagement with the anti-graft agency, the source explained that there are no plans to keep him in EFCC’s custody as long as he guarantees to be available whenever the need arises.

According to the source; “He may not be detained but will be asked to come back if the need be at the end of the day, but presently, he is still being interrogated.

‘’The CEO has been invited and he has honoured the invitation; he will go back, there is no reason to keep him in custody when he is already cooperating.

‘’The new EFCC is operating in accordance with international best practices; you can see that most of the people invited are always allowed to go if they comply”.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is yet to release and official statement on the issue with its Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, promising to provide necessary information on the development after receiving the necessary briefing.

However, Oyewale was still being expected to keep his promise as of the time of filing this report.

Amid the controversy surrounding how NAHCON’s management spent the N90 billion subsidy, the now embattled Chairman, Arabi said on Monday that each pilgrim was supported with N1,637,369.87 from the said amount.

Giving further breakdown of expenditure profile, Mallam Arabi said pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) enjoyed more from the subsidy disbursement, adding; ”How to spread this N90 billion equitably, to such a degree that registered pilgrims would not have to pay additionally to the N4.9 million was tough.

“At first, the N90 billion would only cater conveniently for about 18,000 intending pilgrims out of the about 50,000 duly registered persons as at March 22, 2024.

“Subsequently, appreciation of the Naira to N1,474.00 in the month of May 2024 brought respite to our calculations as it meant a reduction from what the registered pilgrims would have to top up”.

Arabi, who addressed a press conference on the challenges and successes of the 2024 hajj in Abuja, said the pilgrims of the Private Tour Operators (PTO) were not captured in the intervention because the federal government requested the Commission to give pilgrims under government quota priority in the distribution of N90 billion subsidy.

He said; “Firstly, the Federal Government had requested NAHCON to give pilgrims under government quota priority in the N90 billion intervention because pilgrims under this category are the ones that had been depositing their Hajj fare for long for the pilgrimage.

“Secondly, the Commission reasoned with the PTOs that they are businessmen and women in the pilgrimage sector whose clients are mostly from the affluent in the society. Hence, the Commission, as advised stood, its ground that the 90 billion Naira intervention approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was an initiative that primarily targeted pilgrims under the government quota whose financial statuses are not as strong”.

Arabi said despite reservations expressed by some individuals, the 2024 Hajj was a success, even as he acknowledged the robust cooperation and coordination with stakeholders, including State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and some tour operators.

He said under his leadership, NAHCON remains committed to improving processes that would continuously enhance service delivery to the pilgrims in future endeavors in the holy land.– With NAN report